ABC Daytime to Make Major Lineup Decisions in Coming Weeks

[Errol]

Full Story: http://www.soapoperanetwork.com/news/item/3975-abc-deciding-fate-of-daytime-lineup?

[LoyaltoAMC]

If any of this is true, I think the one thing OLTL has in its favor over AMC is that it's more compatible with GH. Both go for OTT shock value and have a more urban, contemporary feel. AMC, by comparison, seems dated, quaint, old fashioned, and, yes, irrelevant. Again, if this announcement is about cancellation, and I'm taking that with a huge grain of salt, then I think this will factor into OLTL's salvation.

[Marco Dane]

Via "Perez Hilton"

http://perezhilton.com/2011-02-23-abc-daytime-soaps-in-danger-of-cancellation

Oh, woe is daytime television over at ABC. The network just can't seem to get any of its new early-bird programming to work and this might cause trouble for some old favorites.

For awhile now, the alphabet network has had several new daytime talks shows in development that they want to get on the air. Problem is, some of their other programming is eating up all their funds and they're finding it difficult to make peace with that. One of the most costly ventures of the network is their lineup of soap operas. Yes, your stories are costing ABC big bucks as they're all running completely over-budget.

Like All My Children. The House of Mouse uprooted the show's production to Los Angeles last year in an effort to cut down on costs, but the relocation has made little difference. The show's been on the air for over 40 years, but if they can't find a way to decrease the bottom line, it could be coming to an end. The same goes for One Life to Live, except that they've managed to stay under budget consistently. Problem is, they don't grab as many eyeballs as AMC, so they might be cut loose just to make room.

The only show that seems to be safe in ABC's morning lineup is General Hospital. Though they too constantly find themselves over budget, GH remains the networks most popular soap, so its pretty much a safe bet that it won't go anywhere.

It's sad to think that even more longtime soaps will be getting the axe. C'mon, ABC, do we really need more talk shows? Really?

[LeClerc]

Huh?

[dragonflies]

LOL forgive me if I don't believe a word they say, these are the same ones who denied AMC was moving to CA and also said something like there was no truth to that at all.

Old news, pffttt

Yeah that is things they could do, but won't. Frons seems to want his soaps to stay as they are, and just put band-aids on the problems instead of fixing them

[Marco Dane]

That is very STUPID for ABC to cancel OLTL and they stay under budget !!!!!!

[Melroser]

Maybe I'm just in denial cuz i love soaps too much to want anything bad to happen to them (whether I watch all of them or not).

It doesn't say that this is directly related to soaps. Maybe it has to do with extending THE VIEW's time slot and adding time to the show or moving it to a different time. Here, there is an hour between Good Morning America and The View. Maybe they will be expanding GMA to take over that extra hour, like Today has done on NBC. Moving the daytime lineup around doesn't necessarily mean that it's all about the soaps.

Or it could just be a lot of backstage news: producing changes, writing changes.

*puts head back down in the sand*.....

[bellcurve]

Melroser, when Today expanded, hours were taken from the daypart. Later Today(which replaced Leeza) was canceled and replaced with the third hour. Passions was canceled to accommodate the fourth hour of Today.

Affiliates will not give up time where they can make more money in lucrative advertising to accommodate a third hour of GMA or The View moving to 4PM. That's not gonna happen. One of the four hours(The View, AMC, OLTL, GH) will have to shift or move.

The only way I see the network pulling for three hours of GMA is when LIVE! is canceled. And when that happens, another talk show or soap will have to get the axe.

[bellcurve]

If The View moves to 4PM, this will have a ripple effect for many affiliates/syndicated shows as well. Many who assumed Anderson Cooper would be Oprah's anointed successor would have a tough hill to climb against The View, a proven brand and ratings/demo powerhouse. Many syndicated shows who already got clearance and got promised the 4PM Oprah slot on ABC are, no doubt, going to be pissed that their show will not get the promised golden slot.

Logistically, this is the greatest move for ABC and their Oprah carrying affiliates. They have a replacement for Oprah that(while it may not be a syndicated show) may prove to be a successful lead-in for another talk show or the first hour of news.

[Kylie]

The spot left open by Oprah is 3PM here, not 4PM. How exactly does all of this work, if the open spot is at a different time slot in different markets?

[bellcurve]

4PMEastern, 3PMCST and 3PMPacific.

Moving The View to 4PM is a calculated move to help the O&O's that will have a hole when Oprah leaves the air.

[Kylie]

Ah, okay, so it works the same as the soaps. The View might do well at 3/4.

[DRW50]

I find it interesting that Hilton says that AMC gets more viewers, when generally, the shows tie or OLTL has more viewers. Is this ABC spin to help justify (I know they don't have to justify, but they do like to put spin out there) canceling OLTL over AMC?

[bellcurve]

Perez knows jack [!@#$%^&*] about soaps. He's stuffing his face at Jack in Box between the hours of 1 and 4PM.

[marceline]

ITA. Can we just file that little blurb under "consider the source" and move on?